They are charges, but false ones!
In the Gospel of John, the Jewish leaders tried to accuse Jesus of the following breaches …
1. Matthew 26:61 … “And they said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.” (They would have called this error the “desecration of God’s House!” But Jesus was only speaking of the “Temple” of His Body, thus predicting His Resurrection!)
2. John 18:30 … “They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee.” Jesus was NOT an evil-doer! He was sinless … and harmless! (Hebrews 7:26)
3. Luke 23:2a … “And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting (dia + strepho) the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.” Jesus loved the Jewish people, His kinsmen. He NEVER perverted that little Nation!
4. Luke 23:2b … “We found this fellow … forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.” They tried to get Jesus executed for treason! As if he sought to overthrow Rome!
5. Luke 23:5 … “And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up (ana + seio = to shake, quake, tremble, agitate) the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.” Jesus was no agitator! He was a Peacemaker!
6. Luke 23:2c … “We found this fellow perverting the nation, saying that he himself is Christ a King.” No, in fact … when the crowd came to Him and tried to crown Him King … He would not allow such! (John 6:15 … “When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.”)
7. And then here in our current Lesson, John 19:7 … “The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.” Not “made himself,” He WAS (AND STILL IS) the Son of God!
Jesus, what a Saviour!
Six hours later, Friday Morning, let me today add one series of thoughts to this “Article” …
Pilate’s six Questions to Jesus, during his portion of the trial … …
1. John 18:33 … Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
2, 3. John 18:35 … Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: What hast thou done?
4. John 18:37 … Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
5. John 18:38 … Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
6. John 19:9 … And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
Luke 23:6-7 … When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.
Now, if you can invest the time in the Word … watch the whole Class …
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
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